


The Project

by mekuru (orphan_account)



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Highschool AU, M/M, home ec partners tbh, lab partners kinda, no one dies!!, soft romo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-15
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-05-14 01:33:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5724493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/mekuru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hinata and Komaeda raise an egg.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Okay everyone, settle down!" The teacher shouted towards the chaotic class. Ms. Enoshima popped in, accompanied by a manilla folder overstuffed with papers. She set it down with a resounding thud and opened it up. Her thin hands flipped through quickly, skillfully making sure to not spill any papers. Hushed curses escaped her mouth and she squinted in frustration. After a minute of rustling, she triumphantly pulled out a bright yellow sheet. She grabbed a bright scarlet marker and scribbled something on the whiteboard. 

"Here's your assignment for the next two weeks," she gestured to the large red letters she'd just written on the board, "you'll be partnered up and raising an egg together."

A loud sigh washed across the class like a wave on an ocean. Muffled complaints and annoyed murmurs echoed around the room. Hinata slouched in his seat and glanced down at his phone. 8:30. Nine more hours of this hell. All the students seemed distracted from the original plan the teacher had formulated. He wasn't exactly bothered and it didn't really effect him either. Honestly, he just took the class for credits. Beside him, Nanami's droopy pink eyes darted back and forth across her screen. Her fingers tapped in a rhythmic  pattern and she seemed relatively unfazed by the outbursts from the other kids. Mahiru sat on his other side, she was also on her phone tapping at something. She looked down at artsy pictures of flowers or clouds, putting on various filters but frowned in disapproval at each one. He looked back at the clock. 8:35. Only five minutes had passed. He contemplated various things like lunch and how his goldfish was doing. Shit, he forgot to feed it this morning. 

"Shut the fuck up!" Ms. Enoshima slammed her fists on the desk, her face turned a bright shade of red and she resembled a cherry tomato. The class froze in shock and horror. After she'd gotten their attention, her usual cheery, air headed demeanor returned. 

"Anyway, as I was saying," she tucked a sandy colored piece of hair behind her ear, "you will be partnered up and raise an egg together. All you have to do is make sure it doesn't break." She smiled and produced a grey carton from under her desk. Ibuki frantically waved her arm and whispered "teacher" repeatedly. Ms. Enoshima rubbed her forehead and gritted her teeth.  "Yes, Mioda, what do you need?"

Ibuki grinned and cleared her throat, "I just wanted to know if we could choose our own partners?"

Ms. Enoshima waved her off and dismissively said yes. Just like that, a hurricane of students rushed to pair up with each other. Hinata looked over to Mahiru, but she'd already made her way over to Hiyoko. Not really surprising, considering they were best friends. He whipped his head towards Nanmi, surely she'd be his partner. Sadly, he was too late yet again. She'd already agreed to be with Mikan, who was crying and apologizing for being a burden even though they hadn't even started the project. 

There was only one person left. The only student without a partner. Komaeda. That one weird kid who didn't really interact with anyone. He was polite, at the very least, and seemed helpful enough. Hinata hesitantly walked over to the lone boy. 

"Hey Komaeda..." He met the white haired boy's blue-grey eyes and became increasingly more anxious. "Do you, um, wanna be partners with me?" This wasn't gonna work. They hadn't even talked at all, so why would they even pair up. Hinata could just work alone if he wanted to.

"Yeah, sure!" Komaeda gently smiled and stood up from his chair. It squeaked loudly as he rose. He extended his hand towards Hinata, offering to greet him. Maybe this would work. He was nice, sweet and probably pretty smart. Also he was super cute so there was that too.

"Anyway," Komaeda said, clearing his throat. Hinata snapped out of his thoughts. Their hands were still intertwined. He quickly pulled it back and muttered a hasty apology. Komaeda assured him it was alright and brushed it off.

"Let's go get our egg, yeah?" he giggled and waved towards the carton containing them. Hinata laughed nervously, making a mental note to not let his obvious embarrassment show through to his partner. 

By the time they'd gotten over to choose their egg, the table had been cleared out and the groups had already began to discuss how to keep the assignment safe. One kid asked how it was going to stay fresh. He said that an egg would go rotten if it was outside of the refrigerator for more than two hours. Hiyoko wrinkled her nose in disgust and made some comment about how putrid it would be, then snickered and added "like Tsumiki." Mikan heard it and tried to hold back tears. Nanami patted her on the back, trying her best to comfort the victimized girl. 

"Now that I think about it," Komaeda said, startling Hinata and making him jump a bit, "how are we going to keep it, you know, clean?" He looked over at the teacher, expecting an answer of some sort. She looked like she'd been nursing a headache and lay face down on the desk. 

"Well, I suppose, we'd just have to refrigerate it," Hinata suggested. It seemed pretty obvious to him, but it must not have been to the rest of them. The other students thought it over for a while until Kuzuryuu spoke up. 

"Yeah, but how the hell are we supposed to do that right now? We still have eight hours of school! Do you see a fucking icebox anywhere, asshole?" He ended his outburst with a short "hmph" and returned to his usual taciturn nature. 

Damn. Who was the real asshole here? Hinata pretended not to notice his semi-offensive comments and carried on with his thoughts. 

"There should be a fridge in the teacher's lounge, so if we get Ms. Enoshima's permission we can just keep it there until the end of the day," he explained slowly like he was talking to infants. A couple ooh's and aah's could be heard, mostly from Ibuki, and the class glanced over towards the possibly inebriated teacher. 

"What'll we do about that?" Kuzuryuu asked haughtily. Souda had suggested they shake her until she wakes up, but was shot down by Sonia and Mahiru who said not to interrupt her beauty sleep. 

"There's a way to get her permission without her actually giving it to us." Komaeda mumbled and squinted downwards, as if in deep thought. They stood in silence until someone got a little impatient and ordered that he tell them what he was thinking. 

"This is just an idea but," he gestured towards the desk she was resting on, "you only need one thing to go anywhere in this school." He sauntered over and picked up a neon pink stamp engraved with the initials J.E. "You see, all we need to do is stamp a paper or our hands and say that Ms. Enoshima let us go." A collective shock flooded the room. Everyone marveled at Komaeda's genius idea, well, except for Kuzuryuu who had something to say as always. 

"Okay, I'll acknowledge that was a good plan. However, how will we know who's egg is who's, huh?" He crossed his arms and turned up his nose. God, what an asshole.

"Simple," Komaeda said in a soothing tone, "just write your names on it! 

Komaeda seemed to have a solution for everything. He was so smart and cool and dazzling and- wait a second. They'd only known each other for a day, no, an hour and Hinata already felt enthralled by him. Just who is this guy anyway?

Well the whole class followed his advice, including Kuzuryuu, and marked themselves with a pink J.E. The staff room was on the other side of the school, which was apparently pretty worrying to Togami because he became the self-proclaimed leader. The walk was pretty uneventful, aside from Togami shushing them if they even whispered. 

The staff room was unsurprisingly locked so Komaeda knocked quietly. When no one responded, he opted to yell at the top of his lungs and see if anyone would respond. Soon enough, the door handle jiggled and unlocked. On the other side stood a small, brown haired boy wearing a dark suit. It took a while for his face to register but then an overwhelming sense of dread blanketed them as they realized who he was. 

The principal, Makoto Naegi, looked stern and rather confused at the group of teens who'd suddenly shown up at the door. Hinata took it upon himself to apologize on behalf of the whole class, even through Komaeda had made the ruckus. 

"Ahaha, it's okay, really it's fine," he awkwardly smiled, "but I do want to know what all of you are doing here. Without a teacher?" 

Fuck. He got them. They were dead. Once their parents found out they snuck out of class and disrupted the principal, they'd never see the light of day.

"Sorry about that, Ms. Enoshima was, well, let's say unable to make it," Komaeda put on an innocent grin," but we made sure to get her permission, see?

He held out his left hand. The bright neon stamp contrasted with his pale skin. He turned towards the rest of the class, gesturing for them to show their markings. 

Naegi gave them a suspicious look, but sighed and said, "Ms. Enoshima, huh... Well it's not unlike her to do this." He opened the door further and stepped away. "Okay, do what you need to do and go quickly back to class." 

The group filed into the staff room and went straight to the refrigerator. Luckily, Hanamura brought a few cartons to keep them in. They passed around a black marker, each pair signing their names boldly on the egg. Hinata passed it over to Komaeda, who had surprisingly sloppy handwriting. 

Once everyone had finished they swiftly exited the room, thanking the principal on their way out. A couple students exhaled in relief for not getting in trouble. Some others took to blaming Komaeda for the predicament.

"Hey hey hey guys, quit it. If he hadn't said anything we'd all be sitting in class with eight rotten eggs!" Hinata argued. Seriously, no one else thought of anything so none of them should have complaints. 

He felt a light pressure on his arm. It was Komaeda.

"Come on, don't fight now. I mean, is it really worth defending someone like me?" Komaeda smiled warmly.

Huh? Wait what the hell?! He'd been docile and friendly this whole time, so what was with the sudden self deprecation?

"What do you mean?" Hinata felt a rush of panic," What do you mean, 'someone like you'?"

Komaeda feigned shock, "Oh! Nothing but a little joke Hinata, don't take it too seriously now!"

"Yeah, buddy, it's not like you two are dating or anything!" Souda gave him a hard pat on the back and laughed obnoxiously. Togami quickly silenced him.

Hinata looked over to the white haired boy. He was... laughing? It was more like giggling, but why? Once Komaeda saw Hinata's confused stare, he covered his mouth and pretended nothing had happened.

This kid was gonna be a piece of work.


	2. Chapter 2

The sharp sound of the final bell cut through the silence of the class. Students dashed to file out of the room, but Hinata took his time to carefully put away his things. What was the point of wasting all that energy to leave so early? It was only 3:20 and school didn't close for another thirty minutes. 

"Excuse me?" A soft voice floated into the room. It could only belong to one person: Komaeda. "Is there a Hinata Hajim- Oh everyone left already..." He slumped his shoulders in disappointment and turned to leave. Hinata jumped up and sprinted to the door.

"Komaeda! Wait!" he yelled, nearly crashing into the other boy. Hinata panted, putting his hands on his knees. Geez, why'd he even run to Komaeda when he wasn't even that far from the doorway? 

"So you were still here!" Komaeda smiled, grabbing Hinata's wrist. The brown haired boy placed his hand on Komaeda's, gently removing it.

"Slow down, bro, why are you here anyway?" Hinata gave a quizzical stare and slung his bag over his shoulder, preparing to exit the classroom.

"Bro?" Komaeda seemed genuinely shocked, maybe even worried, "Never mind... I just wanted to know if you'd like to walk home with me?" 

This was it. This was the moment he'd been waiting for. 

"Yeah, of course. But why?" He cursed himself for his excessive questioning. Komaeda had come all this way for him and he just had to ask about it.

"Well," he seemed confused as to why he did it himself, "since we're taking care of this egg together, I thought we should at least become friends?" Komaeda looked downtrodden as he heard his own words out loud. "But, you know, we don't really have to I guess... I understand why you wouldn't wan-"

Hinata gave him a swift smack on the arm. Komaeda recoiled in surprise and looked questioningly at the perpetrator. 

"Huh? That's it, you just wanted to be friends?" Komaeda swallowed hard and gave a shy nod. "Of course, man, you didn't have to be so formal," Hinata sighed.

Within seconds, Komaeda's face lit up like a tree on Christmas. He grasped Hinata's shoulders and gently shook him. "Really?! You really mean it, you really want to be friends?!" he yelled in disbelief like he wanted to make sure it wasn't some sick joke. 

"Yeah, I mean, why wouldn't I?" Hinata said, mustering up all the calm he could. Komaeda's face was close to his. So close their foreheads almost touched and he could feel Komaeda's warm breath on his nose. 

"Wow this is...," he sat down, gasping, "This is unbelievable, it's... it's the best day of my life!" He shot back up again and wrapped Hinata in a tight embrace. "Thank you so much! You're my first friend I've ever had!" His eyes widened a bit and he covered his mouth quickly. 

"Sorry, that was... pitiful to say the least," he smiled but it looked like he was going to cry any moment, "I can understand why you wouldn't want to be friends now..." 

Jesus Christ, this kid. Hinata took his hand and squeezed tightly making Komaeda look up in shock. His mouth formed a silent "huh?" as he stared into Hinata's forest green eyes. 

"Look bro, it's okay, I'll be your friend. It's not a big deal," he tried ignoring Komaeda's intense gaze and glanced at the clock. It was already 3:30. Hinata sighed heavily, he was going to take a leisurely walk home, but it looks like he'd have to rethink that plan. "Let's go, it's getting pretty late." He led Komaeda out of the room, leading him to the large double doors in the front of the school. 

"Do you need to stop at your locker or anything?" he asked, stopping in front of the exit. Komaeda was silent, he hadn't said a word since they got out of the classroom. "Hey! Are you alright?" 

Komaeda snapped his head towards Hinata, his grey eyes were large in amazement. "Oh! I'm okay, just still in shock, that's all!" He spoke rapidly, Hinata could barely hear what he was saying. Whatever. It didn't really matter much. Still, it seemes strange he was already friends with this guy even though they just met in Hom-

"Wait, did you get the egg?" Hinata asked firmly. The only reason they'd gotten together was because of it. Komaeda reached into one of the side pockets of his oversized jacket. There's no way he'd do it.

"Yep!" he shuffled around a bit before puling out something, "it's right here!" He did it. He put a fucking egg in his pocket. 

"What?! That's definitely not safe, what if it," Hinata lowered his voice to a shrill whisper, "cracked?" 

Komaeda laughed it off, "I don't think you have to worry about that. You see, I have pretty good luck so I guarantee it won't." 

"You can't just rely on luck!" Hinata moved his hands in wide motions, trying to further emphasize his point. "Just because you're a little more fortunate than others, doesn't mean you get to be reckless with our son!"

Komaeda nervously smiled, trying to calm him down a little. "Okay okay, I'll be safer. But wait," his awkwardness disappeared and was replaced by a mischievous grin, "did you call it our son?" 

Oh Lord. He did, he called an inanimate object his child and worse, he basically implied that Komaeda was the father. 

"No, no! It was just a slip of the tongue that's all!" Hinata explained, his cheeks turning scarlet.

"It was just a joke, relax Hinata," his usual friendly smile was plastered onto his face and his long hands were placed on Hinata's shoulders. He patted them twice and exhaled. "Now, shouldn't we get going?"

Oh right. It was getting close to four, he didn't want to get home too late. He nodded hastily and made his way to his house, Komaeda following closely behind. They chatted along the way about schoolwork and teachers and such. Pretty shallow and boring. They stopped at a medium two story home and Hinata turned to face the white haired boy.

"Well this is my stop, where's your house?" he asked, fiddling with a key and unlocking the door.

"Oh," Komaeda rocked from side to side, "I was wondering if I could stay over, just for a little while if that's okay?" He seemed kinda nervous, there was no way for Hinata to turn him down.

"Yeah, it's fine with me," he turned the lock and stepped into the front entrance, "but are your parents cool with it?" 

Komaeda swallowed hard and took a deep breath like he was going to say something. Instead he closed it, replacing it with a small grin. He waved it off and said it was "totally ok!"

A glimmer of curiosity crossed Hinata's eyes, but he ignored it and shrugged. He removed him shoes, gesturing for Komaeda to follow suit. He seemed to cheer up for some reason and slipped them off quickly. Hinata motioned for him to follow. They were at the bottom of a short, but dark, staircase leading up to Hinata's room. 

The bedroom was fairly small, containing a closet across from a bed with dark green sheets. A desk sat at the side of the room, neat and organized with few papers or clutter. On top of it sat a silver laptop and a container filled with writinh utensils. In front of the entrance sat a low brown table, empty aside from a box of tissues. Komaeda wandered in, closing the door behind slightly. It produced a quiet creaking sound, causing Hinata to swivel around. 

"You can close it if you want, it's alright." He rummaged through his bag, pulling out sheets of homework. 

"Wait is that really okay?" Komaeda gasped, unusually flustered, "We're two teenagers alone in a room, isn't that... scandalous." He looked over his shoulder as if he was making sure there were no cameras or peeping eyes. Hinata let out a small laugh. 

"Bro, I'm not going to pull anything on you chill," he said, trying not to make fun of his paranoid friend. Komaeda seemed wary but took a seat across from Hinata. He placed the egg gently on the table, causing Hinata to glance up in confusion. 

"You can put that it the fridge if you want?" he suggested, but was stopped by Komaeda who shook his head. 

"No way, he needs to grow up near us or else it won't be able to tell who we are." He looked completely serious which was definitely worrying. Hinata wanted to add in a snarky comment, but they hadn't known each other long and he didn't want to offend him. He just sighed and went back to working. 

Komaeda sighed and teetered from side to side. He seemed bored out of his mind, but Hinata had tons of work so he tried to ignore him. The white haired boy gave up quickly and decided to rest his head on the desk. 

After a few minutes, a light snoring sound came from him. His back rose and fell gently and he seemed fairly peaceful. Hinata decided not to wake him, Komaeda was cuter sleeping than awake... Okay, that was creepy. 

Hinata shook his head and continued his homework. Factoring, graphing, just regular boring stuff. Hope's Peak was supposed to be a pretty advanced school, so he didn't quite understand why they had to do "normal" math. It wasn't a big deal, really, he just thought they'd do more things related to their skills. He closed the notebook and sighed. His parents had high expectations for him and he was lucky to even get into the school. 

He looked over to Komaeda, who was still asleep. Hinata slowly rose, being careful to not wake the other boy, and retrieved a blanket off his bed. He draped it around Komaeda's thin shoulders and he jolted for a second but returned to his regular breathing rhythm. 

Damn, this guy was way too cute... Like seriously, heart-breakingly cute. Hinata was pretty surprised no one had asked him out or anything. It was pretty weird, he seemed like a good kid, nice and pretty, so how come he was always alone? The other classmates seemed... wary of him, almost. Maybe he had done something to them or maybe he had some secret side? He had been acting a little strange on the way home.

Komaeda interrupted his thoughts with a sleepy mumble. He took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. His mouth opened wide in a yawn and he turned to look at Hinata. 

"Oh, sorry," he said, lethargically, "I must have fallen asleep..." He stood up and stretched his lanky arms. "Anyway, where's the egg?" 

Hinata nodded towards a brown basket, filled with soft fabric. He used to keep oranges in there, well until they all rotted away. The egg sat, nestled comfortably. Can inanimate objects really feel though? 

Komaeda adjusted his long, green jacket and cleared his throat.

"Ah, I feel like I've overstayed my welcome," he grinned sheepishly and walked towards the door, "I'll make my way out now!" With a polite bow and thank you, he turned and left. His cloud-like hair flounced behind him. 

Hinata waved weakly until he heard the light patter of feet running down the stairs and the quiet click of the closing door. He sighed and fell back on his bed. Being with that guy was... exhausting. He was so nervous for some reason, he couldn't help but feel awkward around Komaeda.

"How weird," he thought. Hinata sat up and put a palm to his forehead. He wasn't running a fever, but he was pretty sweaty. And hungry. 

Hinata barely walked out the door when he realized something. Komaeda hadn't taken the egg. There it lay, still in the gentle embrace of the basket. 

What was he supposed to do with this? He and Komaeda were partners, but he'd expected (or rather, eggspected) that the other boy would take custody of their faux child.

Well, Hinata supposed he should do some work too. He didn't want Komaeda to be the only parent. Taking care of an egg with him, would he really be alright? 

But honestly, the idea of raising a child with Komaeda wasn't that bad. Wait, hold on.

Hinata coughed and slapped his cheeks, hard. "Get a hold of yourself, Hajime, it's just a project. Get your credits, act civil, that's it. You don't have to be lovers or anything-" 

Suddenly, the very idea of him and Komaeda becoming an item made Hinata feel warm. Maybe he did have a fever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i posted chapter one prematurely whoops  
> also!! i wanted to clarify things i didnt get to write in the first chapter  
> basically it's like the first day of school and hinata's a new kid so he doesnt know ppl well and so he has no clue abt the other kids / their thoughts abt ko  
> im prbly contradicting myself but lmao its 1:39 whatre u gonna do :')


	3. Chapter 3

Hinata woke up, groggy and disgruntled as usual. He sluggishly made his way to the bathroom. He grabbed the handle of the shower and twisted. It made a quiet fsssh sound. 

He undressed and let the cool water wake him. It was a Saturday, so he supposed he'd go out or something. The weather was going to be good; mild and sunny, not too hot or cold. Maybe he'd invite Chiaki or Mahiru to hang out. They could go to a movie or something?

He turned off the rushing water and  wrapped a towel around his dripping body. He buttoned up his white shirt and slid on his dark pants. His numb fingers stuggled to knot his green tie. After a couple attempts, he got it. Not exactly a shocker, he did wear the same outfit basically everyday. 

He shuffled out of the bathroom, yelling down to his parents he was done and he'd be going out shortly. He heard a loud confirmation and made his way to his phone. He dialed Chiaki's number speedily. 

Nothing.

He wasn't expecting her to answer anway. It was pretty early, 10:00, at least it was for Chiaki. She probably spent all night playing games. Honestly he was worried for her health but he didn't want to seem like a doting mother. 

He shrugged and called Mahiru instead. She didn't answer either. He decided to shoot her a text instead. Maybe she didn't like talking on the phone. He could understand why, the weird way your voice sounds made him uncomfortable too. 

He heard a sharp ding and looked down at the screen.

10:01 AM > Mahiru: Sorry! I can't make it today, I have a gallery to go to. Thank you for asking, though :)

Well, there goes his Saturday. His only friends were busy and he did not want to walk around town alone. It wasn't uncommon or anything but it just felt weird. Hinata was getting pretty desperate. He stared at the only other name on his phone. Komaeda.

Was it worth it? He didn't have to go out at all, but his parents always kicked him out so he'd get some "fresh air." Maybe being alone wasn't that bad? He felt a prickle of anxiety as he imagined the stares and jeers of passerbys. In his head, he knew they definitely didn't care, but his churning stomach thought otherwise. 

He inhaled deeply and dialed the number. Each ring felt like a countdown to the end. The other line clicked and a smooth voice uttered a hello.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go out- I mean, hang out," Hinata blurted out and instantly wished he could shove those words back into his mouth.

He heard a soft giggle on the other end. He relaxed a little bit, the sound seemed oddly soothing. 

"Yep, I'm free today! Do you want to hang out at my place or yours?" Komaeda asked, his voice radiating kindness. 

"I was thinking we could start at mine and go get lunch or see a movie?" Hinata suggested and tried to calm his rapid heartbeat.

"Ahaha, so you want to go on a date, then?" Komaeda's teasing voice sent a jolt down Hinata's spine. 

He felt hotter than before. It was like he was on the sun or something. "No, no!! Of course not, I just wanted to do something as friends," he quickly said. "Or more than friends if you want..." Hinata muttered under his breath. 

Luckily Komaeda didn't hear him. Or at the very least, pretended not to. "Hey don't worry, it was just a joke and yes I'd like to go with you. Lunch sounds splendid, I'll come to your house in half an hour." His light voice fluttered around Hinata's brain. He hurriedly agreed and they exchanged goodbyes. 

He held the device to his chest. He really did make a fool of himself... Komaeda didn't seem to notice or mind though. He was so considerate and perfect. Fate must have brought them together. Either that or a not-so-dumb assignment. 

Speaking of assignment, where was that little egg? Hinata walked downstairs and opened the fridge. A little box with a neat ribbon stood out starkly from the rest of the produce. Hinata cupped it in his hands and carefully returned to his room. It was intact, no cracks and no scratches. Keeping an egg seemed relatively easy but they had to care for it for an entire week. Honestly, a flour baby would have been a thousand times easier. 

How the heck were they supposed to raise it anyway? Take it on walks? Push it on a swing set? Ms. Enoshima said it was "to help them learn parenting skills" but she probably wanted an excuse not to teach for the week.

"Hajime!" his mother's airy voice rose up the stairs. She seemed oddly delighted? This couldn't be good. 

Hinata responded with a lazy "okay" and walked down. He could hear his mom laughing and chatting with someone else. It sounded like a boy?

He didn't even have to think. His heart pounded like a drum as he stepped into the main entrance. He felt his neck break out in a sweat and his face burned. Even though it was fall, it felt like the middle of summer. Hinata gulped and loosened his tie. He turned the corner and saw the unmistakable figure of Komaeda.

"Yep, we get along great!" he giggled lightly, "I've only known him for a few days, but I hope we can become best friends!" He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck causing Hinata's mom to grin widely.

"Komaeda?" Hinata scoffed, "Uh, you're here early." It was only 10:12. He must have had some kind of reason.

"Oh, sorry about that..." Komaeda smiled shyly, "I must have been too excited." He turned away to hide his pink face.

God he was adorable. Hinata excused him and waved him towards the staircase. His mom said something about how glad she was that "her baby boy already had friends." He pretended not to notice. 

"Ah, being in Hinata's house," Komaeda cupped his cheeks, "it's so... wonderful!" He clutched his arms and sighed.

"Um you were here yesterday?" Hinata said, trying to hide his sarcasting tone. 

Komaeda nodded and stared  thoughtfully. Finally he said, "Yeah, I suppose so, but I never got to go to people's homes much." He looked down at his feet. "I never had many friends." 

Crap. 

"No, it's okay!" Hinata said trying to defuse the situation. He didn't want Komaeda to dislike him, why was he so snarky?! "It's not weird at all! It's, uh, actually kind of cute... Anyways, I don't mind, you do you!" He waved his arms in large motions, his expression overdramatic to say the least. 

Komaeda snapped his head up. A wide, childlike grin spread from ear to ear. "Haha, just kidding!" He laughed mischievously, and tousled Hinata's hair in a playful manner.

Hinata gave him a sharp glare, signaling him to remove his hand. He was not a fan of being tricked. Or his hair getting messy. It's not like those gorgeous spikes just happen naturally, after all. 

"Sorry, sorry, just messing around," Komaeda said awkwardly. He seemed sincere and genuinely apologetic, then again, he'd already fallen for his act. But he did look sorry... 

Hinata sighed, "It's fine, I probably overreacted." He took a mental note about the famous saying, "fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me," he had a feeling it would pop up a lot during his relationship with Komaeda. 

"No it's not," the white haired boy protested, "I don't want to lose my first friend over a couple of jokes." He extended his thin hand, "here, I'll make it up to you, I promise." 

Hinata gave him a skeptical look, but took the boy's hand and offer. "Okay, but you don't have to be so formal about it." Komaeda's grip was surprisingly firm, contrasting against his weak and sickly appearence. He must have meant business.

Komaeda clapped his hands together merrily. "Alright, now that that's settled," he picked up the egg. It still sat snuggly inside the box, nestled into the cotton interior. "I was thinking we haven't been very good parents to our metaphorical son."

"Um, we've only had this assignment for a few days..." Hinata groaned.

Komaeda continued, barely acknowledging his comment, "Well, I think to really strengthen our parental bond, we must first work on our own relationship," he scoffed, "so to speak. Also, I still have to make up for my previous disgression." 

Hinata uttered a soft "huh?" and a confused stare was plastered on his face. Komaeda cleared his throat, "Basically, I'd like to do something with you so we become better friends." He gazed expectantly at Hinata.

"So... what you're saying is," he dragged out his words as much as he could, "you want to go on a date. With me." Hinata could barely hold back a smirk, Komaeda was gonna make up for his "little joke." He waited for the realization to set in and a look of shock and embarrassment to flicker onto Komaeda's fa-

"Yeah, pretty much."

Fuck.

Hinata's eyes widened and he tried to stop his jaw from dropping open, with little success. He swallowed hard and his face grew red and hot.

"Wait, hold on, are you trying to be funny right now? Because I'm not laughing." He said shakily.

Komaeda clutched his trembling hands and stared into Hinata's big eyes, "Do I look like I'm kidding?"

Hinata threw back his hands and tried gaining his regular composure. But, with a pair of  intense grey eyes focused in on him, it wasn't exactly a walk in the park. 

"No, not at all..." he said, turning his head away to avoid Komaeda's stare. Honestly, he wasn't supposed to be the flustered one here... "So, if you're really this hyped up about it, where did you want to go."

"Oh, nothing special, just a movie and maybe shopping. I'll take you out for dinner, my treat, and we'll go back to your place, turn down the lights-" he covered his mouth quickly. "Ahaha forget that last part..." 

Hinata opened his mouth to say something, but closed it. He did not wnat to know Komaeda's "special plans" for the evening. "Well, we were going to hang out anyway." He shrugged his shoulder, "let's just go out now, I guess."

Komaeda's eyes gleamed with excitement and he exclaimed, "Yeah!"  

Hinata blushed again. It was a dream come true to go out with Komaeda, but something seemed... off. Why was he so eager to go in the first place? Even if he'd played a mean trick, it was a minor offense and hardly had an effect on Hinata. So what was he planning?  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo no d8 in this chPter sordy abt that :(  
> but ayyy next week or next um posting time? idk  
> there'll be some reAL saucy komahinas ;)  
> (by saucy i mean they'll hold hands)


	4. Chapter 4

Hinata parked himself in front of the overwhelmingly large movie theater. He gawked at the seemingly endless selection of films lining the walls. It was nearly impossible to choose, they'd be standing there for decades just finding a movie. 

"How about this one," Komaeda suggested suddenly, causing Hinata to jump. He glared at the overly long tagline and slightly ridiculous title. 

"Dazzling Exemplary Extravaganza Zone! (Not Understandable to Some)." Hinata announced with a scrutinizing tone. A mediocre looking film containing an acronym only funny to a prepubescent boy and an overly cluttered poster, it didn't look like anything fancy.

He didn't know Komaeda was interested in this kind of entertainment. He seemed like someone who liked artsy, mind-boggling stories that they show at indie film festivals or those super old "moving pictures" that were revolutionary in 1920. He seemed eccentric enough for either, but he didn't really give the impression of liking shitty B-list horror films with the same plot, actors and storyline. 

But, to each his own, or something like that, and it's not like Hinata had any helpful suggestions. Plus, Komaeda was paying for their whole date- er, bro time, so the least he could do was watch the movie.

"Yeah, sure," he said passively, trying to sound coolly apathetic but not cold and uncaring. Does that make sense?

Komaeda's face glowed and his smile shined like a full moon on a dark evening. Even the sun paled in comparison to it's brightness. And, yes, that was a pretty hefty exaggeration, but the point is he was super duper excited to see that trainwreck of a film. So it just stands to reason he'd be positively beaming with enthusiasm. Maybe Komaeda'd forget about the self loathing he harbored and have a good time for once, then they could get closer. Friendship wise, of course...

"Great, great!" Komaeda said, taking Hinata's wrist and leading him to the theater, "Let's go, the movie's starting!" 

Komaeda led him through the pitch black aisles, searching for the "perfect seat." It wasn't very hard however, seeing as they were practically the only ones there. 

After a few minutes they settled into the row in the way back. From there, Hinata could see just how bare the room was. Aside from a few scattered people, him and Komaeda were all alone. In a dark room. Together. 

The mere thought of the possibility made Hinata's heart pound. It's not like he wanted to fool around in a movie theater, but beggars can't be choosers. 

A thunderous boom shook him out of his fantasies.

"Oh," he thought, staring at the flashing neon screen, "looks like the movie started." He shifted uncomfortably in the small seat. He felt a little claustrophobic, sitting so close to someone. It's not like he hadn't done it before, but somehow a simple fun time with a friend turned into an absolutely nerve wracking experience. 

Speaking of anxiety-causing pals, how was Komaeda doing?

He glanced over to the boy next to him, expecting a completely awe-struck figure on the edge of their seat. Hinata wasn't really prepared to see him dozing off on his shoulder. 

What the fuck. This kid takes him to the movies, picks the worst show in the whole country and falls asleep. Unbelievable. But he did look kind of cute... That's not the point. 

The point is he was going  to suffer through one and a half hours of this brain melting, PG-13 masterpiece. Well, he supposed he better enjoy it. 

Long story short, the graphics were terrible and the plot was full of holes. It wasn't too bad but then again, he didn't have high expectations in the first place. Halfway through he planned to catch up on some well-needed sleep, but everytime he'd drift off someone would scream or blow up something. Or both at the same time. 

He squinted at the bright screen and could feel his eyes growing heavy. It was like someone attatched ten ton weights on them. Hinata decided he'd suffered through enough and closed his eyes. 

Then the applause started. He sleepily turned his head to see how Komaeda was doing. The white haired boy was standing straight up and clapping at full force. He wiped away a tear and sighed in satisfaction. He must have been pretty effected by it, which is weird considering he was asleep the whole time...

"I'm surprised you liked it so much," Hinata said, picking his words carefully, "I didn't think you could see with your eyes closed."

Komaeda grinned sheepishly. Checkmate, you've been exposed buddy. "Oh, I wasn't asleep," he laughed in a carefree way, making his way out of the aisle. 

"Hold on a sec!" Hinata hissed, jogging after him, "If you weren't asleep why were you lying on my arm the whole time?"

Komaeda looked puzzled but he was probably snickering on the inside. "Oh, was I?" he mused, feigning innocence. 

Hinata furrowed his brows as if in deep thought. He looked like he was about to say something but quickly discarded the notion. Komaeda was just kidding around, that's all, and it's not like the situation was bad in any way, shape or form. To be honest, the experience was quite pleasant. Komaeda was really warm. 

Hinata pulled out his phone, the radiant blue light burned his eyes a bit. 1:00, read the bold white letters. He squinted, possibly because of the blinding glow and possibly because of the realization that he wasted half his day fooling around with Komaeda. Fooling around platonically, of course. 

He made his way down the dark aisles, groping around for a wall or something to set his bearings. After waving his hands in front of him for a sufficient amout of time, he hit something hard. It was hot and slightly soft, a little fleshy maybe. Wait, fleshy?

"Ooh, Hinata, so forceful," a teasing voice whispered. A swift smack on his rear accompanied ir. Hinata yelped in surprise, quickly covering his... assests. 

"What the hell man?!" He yelled turning towards the perpetrator. Of course it was Komaeda. Who else would act in such a vulgar manner?

Komaeda laughed lightly, "I'm just returning the favor." He winked, or at least it seemed like he did, possibly in an attempt to flirt with the brown haired boy. 

"Returning the... favor?" Hinata contemplated his previous actions. First, he'd been thrown off by his phone's brightness. Second, he felt around to set his balance. Third, he found something that was "fleshy." Something... fleshy... 

"I see!" Hinata declared. He gulped when he realized what he'd done. "So I touched your..." Oh sweet Jesus. "Your..." Hinata stuttered feeling very much like a floundering fish on dry land. 

"My ass, yes," Komaeda finished in an amused tone. "So do you have anything to say?" 

Hinata's face reddened and began to perspire, "I'm sorry! Very very very sorry! I didn't mean to, I'm so so sorry, so please don't call the cops!" he stuttered out in a messy jumble of words.

"Well, I suppose I'll forgive you," Komaeda emphasized the 'suppose' like he was being gracious for his decision, "that is, if you'll finish this date with me."

"Huh?" Hinata gasped, "that's it? I thought you were gonna make me kiss you or something?" Honestly that wouldn't be so bad...

Komaeda stepped back and gripped his chest, "I... I should have said that!" 

Hinata chuckled a little bit. His reaction was over the top, to put it lightly but it was charming in it's own way.

"Anyway, shouldn't we head out." They'd probably start ushering people in for the next showing and he did not want to sit through that movie again. 

"Right!" Komaeda perked up instantly, "Then I'll take you to lunch, is that okay?" 

Hinata had a feeling he'd have to go even if he rejected the offer. "Yeah, that's good." He nodded his head and once again made his way out of the theater, this time being careful not to touch any of Komaeda's... body parts. 

"Ah, the air really does feel great out here," the white haired boy mused, stretching his limbs. 

"Hey now," Hinata trotted after him, "you sound like you just got out of prison." Still, he was glad to be free of the theater and into the sunny and bright- huh?

"That's strange," Hinata uttered, looking up at the sky, "I didn't think it would rain today." The forecast did predict a chance of showers but it was like two percent so there was no way it could happen. Hinata hung down his head, today was definitely not lucky.

"Oh no, oh no!" Komaeda muttered, clutching his head, "This is all my fault!" Hinata peered in confusion at his clearly distressed friend. Still, how was a little rain his fault?

"It's all because of my luck that this happened!" he cried, cursing the sky. Or himself. It was pretty strange. A couple days prior, he'd been downright proud about it. He did put an egg in his pocket, after all. 

"It's fine," Hinata said. He didn't want to deal with a dejected Komaeda. "Let's just head home." He also wasn't looking forward to getting soaked. 

"Alright..." he seemed dismayed, but still went along with it. Hinata felt a little sad about his decision and he was kind of looking forward to going out with Komaeda.

The walk home was a bit awkward. Several small talk topics would be brought up but soon rejected and replaced with deep silence. Hinata wanted to say something, in fact he was practically biting his tongue keeping the words out. He wanted to apologize and take him in his arms and comfort him but... he couldn't. He was being held back, by his own fears and worries, his own insecurities. He swore at his own cowardice but what could he do?

"Here's your house," Komaeda whispered, shattering the silence. Hinata had to say it, right now. The taller boy turned away, possibly with a hint of regret. 

Hinata gripped his wrist causing the other boy to look back in astonishment. "Please stay," he kept his stare downwards, "I wouldn't want you to get caught in the rain..."

Komaeda seemed shocked but his expression melted into a grin. "I think I'll do that, thank you." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did u notice tge deez nuts joke? lmao im 8  
> also i wanted to get this oit on valentines buttttttt  
> anyways i cut it off so i could get close so the next chapter will prbly be out sooner thx :)


	5. Chapter 5

"So you're Hinata's friend?" Hinata's father trailed off like he was trying to remember something. His mother smiled and offered another helping of rice, which Komaeda politely declined. Hinata sat next to the white haired boy and across from his awe-struck parents. 

How did it end up like this? One second he's offering shelter from the storm and the next his parents are meeting his boyfriend- um... best bud. All he wanted was to have a good time and now this. Fuck his life. 

"Yep, I'm Nagito Komaeda," he smiled brightly. He glanced at Hinata as if he was saying, "hey, look how freaking adorable I am." Okay, he probably wasn't thinking that but he just appeared that way. 

"Oh my, Hajime has such cute friends!" his mother beamed, "You really have a knack for picking out the greatest people. Why, just the other week I saw you friend, what was it, Chiaki? She was such a doll, you know that, sweetie?" Hinata gave an exasperated groan and begged his mother to stop. She simply stated she was just "teasing" and not to "be so embarrassed." 

How couldn't he be when his crush was sitting right there and his mom was on the verge of sharing some humiliating story? 

"Do you want anymore, Komaeda?" Hinata's mom asked, offering a bowl of soup. He rejected the offer but still thanked her anyways. 

"Oh by the way," Hinata cleared his throat, "do you wanna stay the night?" This was finally it... his chance. If this didn't increase their bond, he didn't know what would.

"Wow, I'm so flattered that you'd ask me!" Komaeda's eyes were huge in amazement, "If I'm not a burden..." There he goes again. Why can't he understand what a precious treasure he is?!

"Of course not," Hinata said, hiding his slight annoyance, "if your parents are cool with it, it's fine with me." He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. Nice, bro. 

"Oh yeah, they're..." he shifted his gaze to the side, "totally fine with it!" 

"Are you alright?" his mother had a worried expression glued to her face.

"Yeah I'm fine! I just ate too much, " Komaeda awkwardly smiled and dismissed her concerns.

Hinata raised an eyebrow. This was the second time he was dodgy about his family. Maybe he had a bad home life? Whatever, what mattered now was the current situation and Hinata wasn't one to pry. His parents, however, were. He saw his father narrow his eyes as if he was formulating a thought.

"Oh would you look at the time," he sounded exaggerated and made a wide gesture at the clock, "it's getting late, well I suppose we should head to sleep, right Komaeda? Right, let's go!" He grasped his scrawny wrist and guided him up the stairs. His parents barely got in a word before he shut the door behind him and exhaled in relief. 

Komaeda plopped down on the bed and also sighed, "Thanks, man." He tilted his head back and peered up at the ceiling, "I really don't like talking about my family... But I don't wanna worry you too much!" He sat up and began removing his coat. And then his shirt and then-

"Oh no that's alrig- hey what're you doing?!" Hinata screeched. Now this was scandalous. Two teenage boys alone in a room and one starts getting naked, this scene had played out millions of times but he'd never expected to be in it! Especially not with a dude he just met. 

"Relax, I'm not planning anything," Komaeda said passively, "not yet at least," he winked suggestively. 

Hinata jumped back, "Gah! What-What're you talking about?!" 

Komaeda rose from his seat and sauntered over to the flustered boy. Hinata couldn't keep his eyes off his pale, bare chest. At least Komaeda kept his pants on, but he wasn't sure how long that would last. 

"Exactly what I said," he murmured and kept his gaze on Hinata. He started moving in closer and closer. Their noses were touching now and Hinata could feel Komaeda's cold flesh. The pale boy's breath tickled his nose and he would have laughed if he wasnt in this situation. The distance between their mouths was slowly but surely closing. Every second felt like an eternity and Hinata's thoughts were still jumbled. His feelings for Komaeda, were they romantic or platonic? He had no clue but maybe this would solve it. Or it would make everything considerably more awkward. 

Komaeda's lips grazed his and Hinata prepared for impact. 

"Hajime!" a swift knock interrupted their "private session." He froze. Komaeda was also caught off guard but retained his composure. The boy looked at Hinata expectantly. He gulped and turned towards the door to answer his mother. 

"What is it, mom?" his voice crackled. He could feel Komaeda staring right through him. He tried to ignore it. 

"You left your egg down here," she said, slightly muffled by the barrier of the door. 

"That's fine, I don't want to leave it up here or it'll spoil." He despised small talk, but even more so when he was on the verge of kissing a super cute boy. 

"I can bring the cooler up, dear?" He expected her to let it go but she was rather persistent. He may have been too paranoid but he thought she probably knew what they were up to and rushed to stop them. But that was most likely not the case. 

"O-okay!" he stuttered. He was desperate for her to get off his back. After all, a half naked Komaeda was standing in front of him, still clutching his shoulders. 

"I'll be up in a minute!" She sing-songed cheerfully. Once he heard the patter of feet down the stairs he let out a quiet "whew." 

Komaeda stood awkwardly, "So, um, now... what..." Fuck. His mom totally ruined the mood and the white haired boy was way too embarrassed to continue. 

"Let's just wait for her to come up before we do anything... drastic." He rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly he felt very cold. Komaeda, despite his size, seemed small, like he'd done something wrong. Hinata just wanted to take him in his arms and comfort him and tell him he was alright and... and that he was safe. But if he did that Komaeda would become even more shy and his mom would walk in on them embracing and think something was going on. 

"Hajime, I'll leave the cooler out here," her voice startled him but he let out a strained "alright." She told them to not stay up too late and that she'd be in the room down the hall if they needed anything. Typical mom things, he supposed. 

He heard her walk down the hallway and shut the door. Hinata twisted open the doorknob to retrieve the egg-carrying ice box. It was a little large compared to the size of the egg itself, he was worried it would get jostled and crack. Luckily, it was perfectly inatact. For some reason, it was still in the box. Strange, he didn't remeber putting it in there. In fact, he left it out half the time... Well, nevermind that, it must have been stuffy in that box. He took it out and placed it in the former orange-holding basket. 

Komaeda coughed, averting his eyes away from Hinata. He took a seat on the bed once more and seemed to sulk... Damn, he was still down in the dumps. What could he do to solve this? Think, Hinata, what tactic would make Komaeda rise up from despair? 

"That's it!" he exclaimed, then hushed himself after remembering his parents close proximity to the room. He strode over to Komaeda, mentally prepping himself as he got closer. Hinata smacked his hand down on the sheets, next to the boy's thigh, startling him and almost causing him to jump. However he just sat, still as a statue. Hinata tipped forward, cupping Komaeda's chin in his hand. His usually cool face felt blistering hot. He was unnaturally flustered. It made his heart beat even faster. 

Hinata tilted the frail teen's face toward his own and gently placed a kiss on his lips. Komaeda's felt soft but slightly dry, but uncannily warm and comforting. He tasted like beef stew, not exactly shocking as it was their dinner. However, the flavor was much better than when he ate it in the bowl. Maybe that was his own bias but whatever. 

He hesitantly pulled away. If he could, he'd stay that way for centuries alas they both needed oxygen and were nearly breathless by the end. Komaeda had nothing to say, which felt pretty bizzare since he always added in his two cents, even if it was unnecessary. 

"That was..." he had a bewildered look stuck to his face, "great..." Hinata exhaled softly. He thought Komaeda was going to say it was bad. "But aren't you a little embarrassed?"

"Huh? Why?" There wasn't really a need for that, no one was there except for them. Unless his mom was outside... No, that couldn't be it, Komaeda might just be insecure or something. At least, he hoped so.

"Well, we did just smooch it out in front of our son," he pointed to the once-innocent egg that lay innocuously in the basket. "I'm sure he's traumatized now." 

Hinata snickered into his arm, but soon it turned into hysterical laughing. Honestly, was he being serious or not? He couldn't tell but he did know his sides ached like hell. He felt tears prick his eyes and run down his cheeks. 

"Hey! Stop that!" Komaeda giggled. He hurled a pillow at Hinata to try and mute him, but it was no use.

"Oh," Hinata grinned playfully like a  child, "it's on." He thrusted the feathery cushion right back at him, nearly nailing Komaeda right in the head. By sheer luck, it missed and was redirected at Hinata's stomach. They kept going back and forth for a few minutes until Hinata's mom yelled for them to sleep. It was 12:30, but who cared? Certainly not them. 

But whatever the adults said goes, so they set out the pillows and prepared for sleep. Hinata tenderly placed their son back in his "nest." Aka the box in the cooler. 

"Anyways," Hinata stretched and yawned, "I'll sleep on the floor tonight, you're the guest so take the bed."

Komaeda nervously declined, "No, I couldn't possibly! I mean, you were so kind to invite me to your home and trash like me shouldn't pollute your bed-" 

"Alright, alright," Hinata cut him off, not wanting to hear another second of his rambling, "so what do you propose, and no, you're not sleeping on the floor."

Komaeda seemed discouraged but gasped, "I know!" he said, excitedly. He was all fidgety and bubbly... This couldn't be good...

And it wasn't, well not exactly. 

"Look, this is fine and all just," Hinata sighed looking over his shoulder, "stay on your side!" Komaeda lay next to him. In the same bed. Right after the shared an "intimate moment." 

"Will do!" he whispered delightedly. Hinata was not found of their current... placement but it was getting late and he didn't want to hear Komaeda's ideas all night. It'd be just fine and dandy as long as he kept to himself and didn't touch Hinata at all. 

That was the plan. Until Komaeda tossed it out the goddamn window. 

Speaking of, his lanky arms encircled Hinata's waist and his hands dangled dangerously close to his, ahem, southern region. His face nuzzled into his back, cheek grinding against spine.

This kid was dangerous... He was clever, putting up that facade just to sleep with him. He had guts, that's for sure. Komaeda groaned contently and snuggled in closer. Hinata cursed. He'd get payback, even if it killed him!

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anywAy it was all over the place but it done  
> hopefully it contained enough sauce bc there was a lot of rwquests, if not im sorry abt that :(  
> also someone was worried they'd do it in front of their son, dont worry these are very Pure and Responsible boys :)


	6. Chapter 6

After quite an eventful weekend, it was, unfortunately, back to school. Hinata slung his navy blue bag across his shoulder and trudged through the wide halls. Students babbled on and on about the "exciting" things they'd done, which was mostly go to the park or see a cool bird. It seemed petty compared to the Heaven/Hell he'd gone through a couple days before.

On Saturday night, he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. Komaeda was either tossing and turning or squeezing him so hard, he felt like he was cuddling with a boa constrictor and not a sixteen year old kid who was good with words. Luckily he had left in the morning, with their son, and left Hinata mostly in tact. He clutched his bruised ribcage. How did he manage to survive that ordeal? He shook his head vigorously. It wasn't time to think about the potential injuries he'd suffered, now was the time for learning.

He found his way to the classroom and, surprisingly, Mrs. Enoshima was actually there. On time. And so were all of the students, excluding a few slackers and trouble-makers. Was he late or something? The bell hadn't even rung yet. Unless... something happened... He looked towards Komaeda who offered a gentle grin and a, what appeared to be, concerned expression. Even though he was manipulative little jerk, his smile still made Hinata's heart flutter.

"Okay everyone, take your seats," she grimly said. Geez, did someone die? "I have some bad news for you all. That egg project you were so excited for..." No one was really bouncing off the walls over a simple parenting exercise, but okay. "Well, we'll have to cut it short. As long as all your eggs aren't broken today, you get an A."

"Um?" Mikan squeaked, barely talking above a whisper, "how come?"

"Apparently I have to 'teach you guys' and it's 'irresponsible' to let you guys 'roam the school.'" she said in a mocking tone. Still how did she know about their little trip? Unless someone... "So the principal is going to have a meeting with me about responsibility or some shit. Basically, keep your eggs safe the entire time I'm talking with him and you're golden." she shrugged, obviously not giving a rat's ass about the project or their mock kids.

"Excuse me," the principal's popped his head in, examining the room, "Mrs. Enoshima? Could you come with me for a minute?" She squinted and grumbled a swear but obliged. She flashed a peace sign to the bewildered students and with that, she was gone. 

It was like a flip was switched. The whole room buzzed with activity, friends laughing and partners talking. Well, if everyone else was gonna do it, he might as well. He pushed out his chair and set his sights on Komaeda. 

"Oh, hey, Hinata," a black cat popped in front of him, "sorry I couldn't hang out this weekend. A sale was going on on Steam and I bought tons of games." It was just Nanami and her cute hoodie. Hinata breathed out in relief. 

"Yeah, it's fine Nanami. I, uh, found someone to hang out with." He shifted his glance to Komaeda, then back to the skeptical girl in front of him. She seemed deep in thought and her large eyes were directed towards the ground, she rested her chin on her hand and tapped her fingers to really get the gears grinding. A huge smile materialized onto her face. 

"Ohoho, I see then..." she placed her hand in front of her mouth, like she was sharing a secret, "So you must have really hit it off well with Komaeda, huh?" 

Hinata's face turned colors like an autumn leaf. It's slightly golden tint transformed into a deep maroon. 

"What makes you think that?!" he hissed and crouched down to Nanami's level. He stared into her mischievous blush pink eyes, they glimmered with excitement.

"Don't worry about it... In the mean time," she shoved Hinata towards the boy in question and gave him a thumbs up. She mouthed a quick "go for it" for extra emphasis.

Hinata laughed nervously and walked towards him. Seriously, what was he so worried about? Sure, they'd only known each other for about three or four days, but they were already so close. So close... Hinata flushed and suddenly pinpointed the exact subject of his anxiety. The kiss. The fact that they slept together. What would Komaeda say? Would he pursue their relationship further? Or would it be forgotten like dandelion seeds on a brisk, summer afternoon? 

Before he could get remotely close to him, Komaeda perked up and met him halfway. It was like he had some radar for detecting where he was. "Good morning, Hinata! I brought our egg for the project!" His glistening smile was one thousand times more blinding than before. He was so radiant today, he must have been energized from their time together. At least, that's what Hinata thought. 

"Before we talk anymore, I have a suggestion for the class." He cupped his hands together in a makeshift megaphone and shouted "hey!" The students, fazed by the sudden outburst, seeked the source of the noise. Once Komaeda had gained their attention, he proceeded with his announcement.

"I think it would be a good idea to keep our eggs in a carton for the time being," seeing his classmates befuddlement, he explained further, "all we need to do to get a perfect on this assignment is to keep our eggs safe and crack free until the teacher comes back. I believe it would be in our best interest to store them somewhere as it would be much more hazardous to just have them in the open." 

A few pairs agreed and came up to deposit their faux offspring into the carton. One by one, more decided to and also dropped them off. Hinata was about to when Komaeda touched his shoulder. He winked at him knowingly. Strange... It was like he was planning something, but when wasn't he? But really, puuting everyone's eggs somewhere except for their own, he wasn't? No, there's no way. He wouldn't sabotage his own classmates. 

"Hi, hi!" Ms. Enoshima's bubbly voice burst into the room. She spoke like a queen addressing her subjects, "are everyone's eggs safe?" A resounding "yes ma'am" was heard from every student. And they were, all nestled into the carton, snug and warm. Until Komaeda came. 

He picked up the carton and, no, there's no way, he dropped it. Simple as that. He had seven little lives in his hands and he threw them onto the cold, hard ground. The students wore shocked and mortified expressions. A soft "what the hell, Komaeda" could be heard. Hinata shakily turned their own egg away from his destructive partner. 

"Oh no!" he gasped, in mock terror, "Hinata must have tripped me!" What the fuck. He'd do this... to his own lover, er, friend. What. The. Fuck. 

"What do you mean, me?" he slapped his hand to his chest in shock. How could Komaeda do this? In a single swift action, he totally toppled their bro tower... 

"I mean exactly what I said," Komaeda said coldly. Hinata gulped, his words mirrored exactly what he'd said to him before they... touched. "You tripped me, be it purposeful or not, and caused the downfall of the entire class." 

"Is this true, Hinata?" Sonia asked in disbelief. A few other kids nodded their heads and stared intently, waiting for an answer. 

"Or course not!" he yelled in his own defense, "Why would I do that?" Komaeda stepped in, countering him. 

"Well, you were standing next to me when I fell," he said pompously, "so are you saying that I did this on purpose?" 

Hinata shook his head. He didn't want to believe Komaeda was capable of this betrayal and this slander. "No, of course not, accidents happen..." he clenched his fist, "but I can't believe you would try and pin this on me." 

The class was seemingly split. One side buying into Komaeda's tale and the other agreeing with Hinata's side. It was time to cross swords...

"I don't have time for this!" Ms. Enoshima groaned, "Hinata, Komaeda, both of you have detention after school today."

"Are... Are you kidding me?!" Hinata screamed in shock. This was all his fault, now his parents would be pissed and his perfect record ruined.

"How could he do this to me?" he ranted to Mahiru as she mixed a couple chemicals, "I thought we were friends, maybe more..." he looked down solemnly.

"Look," she sighed and removed her lab goggles, "I didn't want to tell you this but... Komaeda has always been a little strange." Huh? Komaeda? Strange? Well, of course but he hadn't harmed anyone before. Or had he? 

"I was in his class during middle school and he was basically the same," she paused to write down notes about the reaction, "except he was even more antisocial than he is now." She handed Hinata a bubbling grey liquid. "He had some weird idea that we'd get caught up in his "luck cycle." Apparently, his beloved dog had died because of it." 

Hinata raised an eyebrow in suspicion, "That's it? It's a dog, there's now way it's death would shape him like this." She took the solution from his hands and placed it onto a rack. 

"No, there's more. When we were in fourth grade, he boarded a plane to the Caribbean and it crashed." What? Komaeda experienced something like this and never bothered to tell him? Wait, they hadn't known each other long, it's no time to jump to any conclusions. 

"Miraculously, everyone survived. That is," she paused, grasping the bottle of green chemicals, "except for his parents. Both were killed on impact." Boom. There it is. The bombshell. That's why he was so reluctant about his family. He didn't have one... Hinata felt his heart drop down to his stomach. 

"There's one other thing." Mahiru began pouring the chemical into the other solution, "before he got into Hope's Peak, he developed a disease. Well two, to be specific." She examined the reaction they'd made and jotted it down. "Lymphoma and dementia, I believe. After that, he was told he wouldn't have much longer to live. The doctors said he wouldn't get past twenty five. Turning twenty six would be a miracle." Hinata swallowed hard. How old was Komaeda now, sixteen? That means he'll only be alive for nine more years. If he's lucky. 

"But what's that have to do with luck?!" He grasped the mixture Mahiru had handed him and shakily poured it into another beaker. 

"After his dog died, the perpetrator turned out to be a millionaire and paid five thousand dollars for compensation. And after his parents death, he inherited their vast fortune and after he got the news of his illness he-"

Hinata cast his eyes downwards and cut her off, "Let me guess, he got into the Academy." She nodded grimly.

He couldn't process the information. There's no way. How could tragedy after tragedy befall him, why did he deserve this? He was so kind and gentle, despite his self hatred and lies, he was... important to Hinata. His carefree smile, the way his eyes lit up when he talked about their egg, his cold arms and shaky hands. He couldn't imagine a world without him. They'd only been together for a week, no, even less, and that sickly frail boy had already became a cornerstone in his life. 

He wouldn't let Komaeda push him away like this. He didn't care if he got injured or kidnapped or mugged, even if he died, there's no way he could live without him. No way in hell. That's it. He'd save him. He clenched his fist in determination. He was the only one who could do it. 

"Hinata... Are you okay?" Mahiru placed a comforting hand on his arm. He nodded and bit his lip. "Good... But you're over pouring the mixture." 

He glanced down at the frothing liquid, "Gah! Sorry about that!" he apologized as Mahiru retrieved the roll of paper towels. She scrubbed the table roughly and grumbled about how he should be more careful. Hinata rubbed his arm sheepishly. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts he forgot about the task at hand. 

He looked up at the clock. 2:36. The end of school was approaching and so was detention. Then and there he'd confront Komaeda; about his past, his troubles, his actions. He felt a cold sweat run down his back. Maybe he wasn't that prepared for it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a lil too heavy mb?? also it's a lil ahort sorry about that ;0  
> it might seem a bit rushed too, i had to get some backstory out and i couldny think of a way how also its 3:20 am  
> buuuuut next chapater hianat is getting answers (abd smooches)


	7. Chapter 7

Hinata held the green slip in his quivering hands. Detention was scrawled across in bold letters. Honestly his parents would kill him when they found out... but that didn't matter. Well, not as much as he thought it would. There was a more pressing issue at hand. The fact that Komaeda seemed to be slowly pushing him away. 

He saw him in the hall ten times today and not once did he greet him. No waves, no smiles, no "hello Hinata." Nothing except absolute silence and accidental glances. Perhaps he was being a little paranoid and a lot clingy. Still, for Komaeda to abandon him like this, right when their relationship was blossoming... something was wrong. And he was going to get answers. 

He stared down at the instructions printed on the sheet with a new found determination. Suddenly the words "Detention, go to room 301" weren't so scary after all. He thought of Komaeda. The boy who was infuriating and awe-inspiring all at the same time. His biggest annoyance and his largest source of joy. His most precious friend. His first love. He could conquer the entire world, no, the universe as long as he kept him in mind.

Maybe this was... hope. 

A plate reading "301" shined outside the door. Hinata turned the knob and stepped into what may be the most important moment of his life. Okay, that might be an exaggeration... 

"Um is this the detention room?" he asked, supressing his nervous voice cracks. A graceful woman with eyes sharper than knives and lavender hair reaching to her back. The vice principal, Kyouko Kirigiri. 

Hinata gulped. He really, really hadn't expected her to be there. After all, she seemed to have more important things to attend to, instead of babysitting a few troublemaking kids. But she was super intimidating so there's no way any students would act out in front of her. 

"Yes and you must be," she scanned a black file with the Hope's Peak crest plastered on the cover, "Hajime Hinata. Is that right?" He swiftly nodded and added in a stern  "yes ma'am." 

She looked at him coldly, "Okay it seems everyone is here, then." Everyone? He turned towards the seats, which wasn't hard considering they only had two out. And one was filled. Wow, who could it be? Komaeda, noticing Hinata's stare, faced away in disgust. So... he was gonna be like that, huh. He plopped down in the empty chair and shot him a piercing glare. Komaeda fidgeted a little. 

Ms. Kirigiri rubbed her temples. "Look, boys, I have a lot of paperwork and I don't have time to watch you." She shuffled a few papers and seemed to read them over, "This is the first and only time the both of you have acted out so I'll trust you two not to misbehave," she gathered her work and started out the door, "don't make me lose that trust." She closed it and the sound of heels clacking against hard tile echoed off the walls. 

Now he was all alone. With Komaeda. 

"So, how've you been," Hinata asked coolly. He leaned back in the chair and rested his arm on the back. 

"Sorry, there's a no talking rule," Komaeca gestured towards the huge poster boldly declaring the guidelines for detention. 

Hinata rolled his eyes, "And since when have you been a rule abiding citizen?" Making excuses already... how careless. Komaeda immediately clammed up but each passing second his shallow breathing indicated he wanted to speak. If this was like the movies, he'd fling himself across the desk and beg for forgiveness, then they'd kiss and make up. But this wasn't the movies and life wasn't that easy. 

Hinata decided if he didn't make the first move, they'd both be waiting for an eternity. "Look, I'll just cut to the chase," he cracked his knuckles, "all I wanna know is why you pulled that stunt this morning and then avoided me all day. Especially after you couldn't keep your hands off me Saturday night." Maybe he was being too mean, but Komaeda had started this and it was time for him to own up to his actions. 

The white haired boy flushed pink and desperately tried to maintain his cool. It wasn't like him to crack this easily but if Hinata kept pounding... That sounded wrong. 

"I mean, you did all those things to me; you slept on my shoulder and in my bed, you ate dinner with my parents, you took me on a date, you even tried to kiss me!" Hinata jumped up and slammed his hands on the desk, "You... you made my heart beat so fast I thought I'd die." He felt a burning heat rise up into his throat. He bit his lip and stomped to Komaeda, grabbing him by the shirt. "You made me feel this way so take responsibility, dammit!"

Komaeda's gaze softened and his sea grey eyes wavered. He swallowed hard and pursed his lips. "It's not my fault you fell for me, idiot," he spat, snapping his head away and shutting his eyes like he couldn't bear to look at the damaged boy standing in front of him. 

Hinated loosened his grip on the rough fabric of the sweatshirt. He felt bitter tears prick at his eyes. How could Komaeda be so unfair? What did he do to deserve this? Was... was it his fault after all?

He rubbed his eyes with the crook of his arm. Clenching his fists, he inhaled sharply and prepared his thoughts. "Fine, be that way. But just answer something for me and I promise I won't talk to you ever again. Everything we did together, the memories we shared, I'll throw them all away." Komaeda looked hesistant but wordlessly agreed. 

"All I want to know," he stepped towards the white haired boy, "is if you still feel anything for me." Hinata rested his hand on Komaeda's head and gently pulled it towards his own. Their foreheads connected and Hinata stared into the stormy ocean grey in front of him. 

Komaeda faltered but didn't pull away. His voice trembled but he managed to say something. "I... I..." Drops of salty tears flooded out like rain during a hurricane. "I do, okay!" His shoulders moved up and down exaggeratedly.

"Hey now," Hinata stroked Komaeda's wet cheek, "if you start crying, you're gonna make me want to cry." He grinned the best he could, even though tears were streaming down his face too. 

The white haired boy buried his face into Hinata's chest, still sobbing and wailing full force. His shirt was damp but he didn't mind. He ran his fingers through Komaeda's cloud-like hair and hummed soothingly.

"Did you really think I didn't have feelings for you?!" he whimpered, raising his head up from Hinata's shirt, "Of course I did, but I didn't want to endanger you!" His thin hands formed two balls at his side and he gritted his teeth tightly. "Everyone I ever loved has been killed, all because of me! And I didn't want that to happen to you!" He looked up with a weak smile, "I love you more than anyone else." 

Hinata placed a chaste kiss on his pale eyelid. "I love you too," he proclaimed quietly. "And there's no way I'm kicking the bucket any time soon. Sorry to say it, but you're stuck with me," he grinned confidently. Komaeda's body shook and he tackled Hinata to the ground, landing right on top of him.  

"Gah!" he screamed, hitting the tough ground, "What was that for?!" He rubbed his sore head and glared questioningly. 

"That," Komaeda giggled, his warm and gentle smile returning, "was for teasing me and saying those awful things... You're such a bully, Hinata!" He buried his head into the brown haired boy's neck and squeezed him tightly. 

"You're the one that started this whole ordeal." Hinata protested, attempting in vain to pry Komaeda off, "Also get off me, I can't breathe!" He gasped, clawing at the other boy's back. He was glad and all that they'd made up, but his poor lungs were being crushed to death.

"Nope," he replied in an amused tone, "this is your punishment!" Oh god. Hinata could feel himself going into the light. Goodbye sweet world.

"Get off!" he yelled in a last ditch attempt for relief. Seriously, any more and he'd board an express ride straight to Heaven.

"What's going on here?!" Ms. Kirigiri slammed the door open. It took a minute for her to register what she saw. Two teenage boys. One on top of the other. In a private room. With no teacher. She looked down at them for a few minutes and turned back out. 

"No, please! It's not what you think!" Hinata cried out. How was he supposed to explain this to his parents?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaAAAA im not sure if ill continue or not bc idk what to write now buuut if u want me to and have any suggestions pls.... tell me... :0 if not ill prbly jsut end it next chapter with like some fluff or smth either is a ok w me  
> also i updated a lot this week lmao i just realized,,,

**Author's Note:**

> i didnt mean to have so much exposition whoops lmao  
> but yeah heres the egg story


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